Food: WTF Should I Eat? [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2018] Mark Hyman Paperback – January 1, 2018

I have mixed thoughts on the quality of this book. For starters, I have been researching about nutrition for years now and just recently stumbled on Dr. Hyman and his methodology. I am also studying in medical school right now, so I feel I have some credibility when talking about this stuff. Let's start with the good points.This book is a great guide for those who are just starting out. It can be a bit overwhelming if you don't know a lot of it, but he does a good job of making you realize that there are a lot of problems with the conventional American diet, especially the foods that the media and lobbying industries are marketing towards us. His biggest pro is the fact that he is preaching on many topics that have been (in my opinion) firmly established in the literature already. For instance, unnatural carbs (ex. grains, processed foods, etc.) are NOT needed at all, so avoiding these makes obvious sense. This is why diets like keto are so popular right now; people are ridding themselves of mostly carbs, which in turn drastically cuts down on the amount of calories one eats each day. Generally, he does a good job addressing the major food groups and gives a nice, easily-accessible list at the end of each chapter on what foods to avoid and to get more of. In a world of confusion on what to eat, Dr. Hyman does a nice job of mapping out a starting point by which to become healthier and more vibrant. Some of the main takeaways I got from his book are that organic/minimally processed foods are best (mostly because of the added chemicals in our foods); the messages by the government are very biased; and that moderation really is the key to a healthy lifestyle.I do, however, have quite a lot of gripes with his content.His book reeks of confirmation bias. I'm guessing that he selectively included studies from authors who he works with regularly to fit the narrative he wants to advocate. Obviously this happens with any writer, but it's a problem when someone writes a no-nonsense guide to eating healthy and only includes information on the bias he has. The reality is that nutrition information is not set in stone, and many of the topics he talks about are non conclusive enough to give an affirmative answer. Some of the examples include:1) Dairy: His main arguments for not consuming milk are that it's inflammatory and that it leads to cancer. For me, I don't have issues with digesting dairy at all, so that part of his argument is thrown out immediately. Second, his argument that dairy leads to cancer is non-conclusive. He pretty much says that research suggests there is a link between dairy and cancer, but that could be said for so many things. He doesn't mention much about the benefits of dairy, including its protein content, natural sugars, healthy fats and vitamins, etc. Long story short, he doesn't comprehensively convince me that dairy should be avoided. Yes, I will try to go organic when I can, but organic dairy is four times as expensive as non-organic dairy.2) Beans: His main arguments for avoiding beans is that they are inflammatory and have high carbohydrates contents. Yes, these probably should be avoided if you're diabetic or insulin-resistant (as should most carbs in that case). However, once again I don't have issues digesting beans, and I find that their fiber content is world's better than any other foods I eat. One serving of beans makes me regular for days. Apart from incredible amounts of fiber, beans have lots of protein, micronutrients, and are very satiating. What about the difference between canned beans and dry beans?3) Grains: His main argument for avoiding grains are that they are just like sugar when digested. Yes, this is true. However, what about whole grains? He doesn't talk enough about the difference between whole grains and highly processed grains. This makes it difficult to make a decision---should I avoid grains altogether or just processed ones?Overall, his main weakness is that what he says isn't clearly convincing. Yes, I will try to buy organic foods when possible and yes I will try to limit the carbs I consume. However, I don't know necessarily what ultimate decision to make. These foods exist on a spectrum (ex. juice vs. natural fruit, ice cream vs. whole milk, etc.) What should I do? Furthermore, the type of diet he advocates is far out of reach for most people in society. It's just too expensive and not convenient in the slightest. This book will absolutely help those who are eating only junk food, but it isn't necessarily helpful for those are in-shape, workout regularly, don't have the money and/or time, and want to live a moderate lifestyle. I wish he had spent more time telling me about the complete pros and cons of each food group and allowing me to make a decision on my own, but instead he picks a side (ex. beans are mostly bad) and goes with that one side. A good researcher discusses both sides on a topic, but unfortunately Dr. Hyman chose to ignore some of the information that would have weakened his arguments and bias.

I discovered Dr. Hyman several years ago, right before Lent. He was doing a PBS special, and it was fascinating. Especially because I had already planned to give up gluten for Lent, and here he was backing up my seemingly random thought with science.I ended up losing 92 pounds and keeping it off for a good seven years. All glory to God, all human credit to Dr. Hyman.Which is not to say that I agree wholeheartedly with everything that he’s ever said. I have too great a respect for Fr. Ripperger as an exorcist to take up Dr. Hyman’s suggestions on yoga, for example. Big grains of salt must be taken whenever he leaves the area of number crunching. But as a whole, what he has written has affected me profoundly.If one has never read a word of this M.D., one could do a lot worse than starting with Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? It’s pretty systematic, going through the categories of foods and explaining the science (or the faux science that is governing the perceived scientists).For me, a person who has read most of his books, it felt like his publisher told him that he needs to have a book out every twelve months. Even in the best of his works, there’s a certain excess of filler paragraphs, and it gets more pronounced the less he has new things to say. He does have new material, but it could be covered in a pamphlet, not a hardcover.Overall, it was a good read for reiterating the principles that I already knew. I am forever grateful to Dr. Hyman and his research team for doing work that was truly life changing for me.

A very interesting read. Dr. Hyman is brilliant.

First, this book is very readable, even enjoyable. That is something that most nutrition & health books aren’t.I have multiple auto-immune diseases, including ulcerative colitis, and my dad had Alzheimer’s. I’d also gained 90 lbs of fat from medications that changed my metabolism so I couldn’t take it off. A good part of it was inflammatory belly fat from prednisone.I knew the low fiber diet is been told to eat for my UC wasn’t helping matters. After Dad died in 11/2018 I became vegan. It did help my UC but I have malabsorption both genetically and from the UC itself. Getting enough protein and other nutrients was hard. But my gastroenterologist did slow down the rate I was getting immunosuppressants. (Yay!)Yearly last year I started a mostly plant based Keto after hearing Dr. Will Cole talk about his book Ketotarian. (I can’t recommend it enough.) I lost so much weight; moreover, I lost the belly fat! It changed my metabolism that all the meds messed up. I continue to lose weight by eating a little more fat and healthy carbs in moderation.The problem was I still felt like grass fed meats, eaten occasionally, would boost my nutrient and protein intake.All of these modalities seems to be in opposition. I was as confused about what to eat as every other person who wants or needs to eat for better or optimal health.“Food” not only guided me through the healthy food maze but married all my different beliefs into one very well research idea. I’d not been off the mark at all but still got so much great information in how to implement it all. He has lists great resources to make this all doable.So, yes to a mostly plant based diet. Yes to adding more fat back into your diet to make you lose weight. Yes to keto if you need it. And, yes to adding back some grass fed meat. No to processed Frankenfoods, pesticides and most dairy but my GI doctor doesn’t want her patients eating them anyway even the vegan ones.For anyone afraid of eating this way, the food is even more delicious than the processed foods you’ve gotten used to. The flavors are incredible. Think of it as going to Thanksgiving dinner and most of what you put on you plate are the side dishes!

Mind opening! I cannot stand the self-help, extreme marketing language that pervades American books on diets and healthy living, but this book, at least, combines that with solid science and judicious advice. A very helpful guide that provides you with a basic framework for navigating through so much conflicting information on precisely what the heck should we eat!.

Excelente libro para todo aquel interesado en mejorar su salud y su alimentación, el libro incluye referencias a artículos médicos por lo que todo tiene un sustento científico.

Very informative I can't believe some of the items I have learned. I recommend this to everyone

I love this book. I think Mark is wonderful. He makes it all so clear and simple and doesn't mix his words. I love how direct and honest this book is .Thank you for taking the time to clarify what we should and shouldn't eat. This content should be taught in schools. Perhaps we wouldn't have such a health crisis on our hands if children learnt this at a young age.

Fácil de entender, simple y súper util para tomar decisiones sobre tu salud